Simka
by Mhelisis
Summary: Exploring one of the most disgusting pairings, Sam/Apophis, and the impact of the relationship on Sam's life.
1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet evening in the SGC. O'Neill and Daniel were off-world, helping SG-11 to catalogue artifacts in an archaeological dig. Teal'c and Carter were chatting casually with General Hammond in the operations room. Suddenly, the base alarm went off, and the Stargate's chevrons moved. A blue wormhole popped out, and the protective iris shut itself.

— Unscheduled off-world activation.

— What is it, Sergeant?

— I'm getting audio only, General.

— Play it, Sergeant.

_Shol'va! I have captured the Shol'va Bra'tac! I'm going to kill him if you don't come!_ It was Apophis' voice. _Teal'c! Don't come, it's a trap_... Bra'tac mumbled, followed by the sound of a staff weapon and a scream. _You have fifteen minutes to come. I'm waiting for you, Shol'va!_

End of communication. Teal'c clenched his fist.

— I must go, General Hammond.

— Teal'c, it's an obvious trap... I'm sorry to say that, but Master Bra'tac is probably dead, by now.

Teal'c stared at Hammond for exactly five seconds.

— O.K., Teal'c. I know that I can't stop you.

He sighed.

— Be prudent, son.

Teal'c kept staring.

— Requesting permission to go with him, sir, Carter said, standing to attention.

General Hammond sighed again. He knew that he couldn't stop her either, and he didn't have the strength to argue, today. He didn't even want to stop her, anyway. She and Teal'c were a team, and they had to stick together. "We don't leave our people behind" is the U.S. Air Force unofficial motto, after all.

— Very well, Major. Radio contact in one hour. Sergeant, dial the coordinates.

Teal'c and Carter rushed to the gate. They had prepared no plan and expected immediate capture. All they could do was negotiate with Apophis to save time and Bra'tac's life, while O'Neill would think of an actual plan to rescue them. And indeed, as soon as they passed the gate, Apophis' Jaffas zatted them. They dialed new coordinates promptly, and brought them to Apophis' mothership. Their timing was flawless. They pushed the captives on their knees and tied their hands behind their back. The Goa'uld was standing in front of them.

— Shol'va! You are so predictable, and your God tricked you with ease.

He pulled a metallic device that looked like a radio in front of his mouth.

— Teal'c! Don't come, it's a trap...

He giggled demonically. He sounded exactly like Bra'tac.

— How do you like this device that I designed?

Carter thought that it had been too easy; they should have designed a voice recognition program to at least identify their allies. She was disappointed with their mistake. They had been too gullible to fall for that trap. Since O'Neill wasn't around, she decided that it was up to her to make a comment:

— Goa'ulds are technological thieves and scavengers. I really doubt you designed anything.

One of the Jaffas hit her on the back of the head. It hurt a lot and threw her off balance.

— You know so little about your god, Tau'ri. I construct a lot of advanced devices. Shol'va! I have designed a torture appropriate to make you pay for your insults. I am glad that you brought the Tau'ri female with you. I will torture her until you kill her, and only when you kill her will I allow you to become my First Prime again. She will be put in so much pain that eventually, you will have no choice but to end it.

— Apophis! You are a coward! Don't torture her. You wanted me and here I am.

— Shol'va, that would be too easy. But you are no god, and only gods make the rules. Jaffa! Bring the prisoners to their cells.

The Jaffas brought them to two separate cells in front of each other. There was no door, only a magnetic field to block the exit. The field also blocked all sounds, which prevented them from speaking to each other. Carter had nothing to do but glaze at the infuriated Teal'c in front of her, until the guards came back and brought her to their master.

— Aha! Here's the female Tau'ri.

Apophis was moving his hands inside a large holographic screen. It seemed that he was closing computer programs, and Carter was observing him attentively to learn what he was doing. She recognised sinusoidal waves which must have been the graphical representation of sound waves. He was probably working on that voice synthesizer.

— I see that you are admiring the superior technology of your God. I'm working on a program that converts the code of life into musical sheets. But of course, I don't expect your primitive brain to understand how it works.

Code of life was the Goa'uld term for DNA.

— You'd be surprised what I can do with a computer.

But _she_ was surprised, and wondered if he was lying. She had never pictured brutish Apophis as a computer engineer, and even less as a musician. The thought of Apophis playing music was but ridiculous. Goa'ulds didn't have the required delicacy to play beautiful melodies, and she suspected that their taste was limited to war drums. She, on the other end, was a sensitive being, and had always wanted to play cello, although she was far too busy to develop a hobby.

— Kree shak nel! You are an arrogant little ant! I will teach you to worship me. Jaffa!

A Jaffa came closer to the prisoner, holding a pain stick. In the corner of the room, she noticed a double reed wind instrument.

— Kree!

He hit her with the stick. Glowing light came out of her eyes and mouth, all of her nerves were overstimulated with energy, and quickly she began to wail with agony. Apophis was pleased, and he left to another part of the ship. Carter was tortured for two hours. She was brought back to Teal'c's cell. She rolled in a ball, on the floor, and cried. She had been hurt so badly that she didn't notice the torture had ended.

— Carter! What did they do to you?

Teal'c was enraged. He bumped his hand in the protective field, but only burnt himself. He didn't care about the pain. He tried to break it until the skin of his hand was completely black. The field was just too strong.

A few minutes later, Apophis came to visit the prisoners.

— Shol'va! Have you made up your mind, yet?

The brave warrior had nothing to answer. He could only scream with rage. Only a scumbag could attack a woman. Apophis was laughing.

— I didn't expect any less from you. I chose you as my First Prime for your strength, after all.

He hit Teal'c with a Zak'nik'tel to paralyse him, and turned his attention to the other prisoner. She was still crying on the floor. He tilted a bit his head on the right, and looked at her. He was going to paralyse her too, but changed his mind. He brought his hand close to her face, and caught one of her tears with his index finger. She looked at him for a few seconds and stared in his eyes. She wasn't even hateful or angry: she was too much in pain to feel anything. Apophis turned on his heels, and left.

Sam was incredibly tired, and she felt asleep. When she woke up, she was being thrown through the Stargate. On the other side, O'Neill, Daniel and SG-11 were waiting for her. It was the planet where she had been captured.

— Carter? It's good to see you. What happened to you? You look like a mess.

— O'Neill... What happened? she echoed. Where are we?

— You tell me. I was off world, looking at weird pottery that for whatever reason was getting Daniel all excited, when General Hammond called us and sent us here. He said that you went after Apophis to save Master Bra'tac.

— Bra'tac wasn't there... Apophis had a sound device to emulate his voice.

— Interesting, Daniel said. I didn't know Goa'uld could do that. We will have to be more prudent.

— How did you escape? O'Neill asked.

— I don't know... My memory is fuzzy. I think that Apophis' Jaffas just kicked me out through the Stargate.

— That's odd. Goa'uld don't release their prisoners, usually.

— Apophis behaved oddly. When I was in jail with Teal'c, he caught one of my tears in his hand, then left.

— Where's Big T? Is he O.K.?

— I don't know, I haven't seen him since I passed out.

— That's quite odd, indeed, Daniel said. It looks like Apophis was so disturbed to see you in pain that he felt the need to release you. It's possible that his host still has some control over him. It might give us an edge to defeat him.

— I... I don't think it was his host. I think it was Apophis himself.

— What makes you think that, Sam?

— I don't know. I just know.

Daniel threw her a worried look. She really did look like a mess.

Sam was brought back to the base. It seemed that Apophis had improved the torture stick, because she was still experiencing some of the effects. She had facial tics and was feeling a bit disorientated. Dr. Fraiser wasn't too worried, and prescribed her muscle relaxants. Her nervous system had just been overstimulated, and she would soon recover. She ordered her to rest and forbid her to go to the briefing room with the others. Sam sit on the computer to kill time, and researched what Apophis' instrument was. She didn't know why she'd research such thing. She simply felt compelled to.

It looked a lot like a kind of Egyptian flute called a "mizmar". She found a sound clip and played it. It sounded mysterious and exotic, and she was enthralled. It helped her relax, and she took a nap.

The environment was blurry. She was dressed like a slave, with a beautiful silk dress and golden jewelry. The room smelled of rose petals. Apophis was sitting in front of her on red cushions and was playing on his mizmar. It was extremely beautiful and was making her feel high. Somehow, she knew that Apophis was playing her code of life. Every note sounded in harmony with her inner self. Every note sounded just right. Apophis stopped playing, and she felt herself yearning for more. She didn't want him to stop. He said: "Simka" softly, with a human voice. She didn't know what it meant, but she knew that it referred to her.

She woke up abruptly. It was a strange dream and she didn't like at all. She shivered. She hated the idea of Apophis playing music for her, and she wondered why she'd dream about it. Dreams are just silly. She felt in perfect shape, and searched for the rest of the team through the base. She found them in the briefing room. General Hammond spoke to her:

— Major, it's good to see that you've recovered. We are trying to think of a plan to rescue Teal'c, but it's difficult because we don't know where he is detained.

— He is in Apophis' mothership.

— Any idea where that is?

— I... I should have looked at the constellations through the windows, but I didn't think of doing it. It would have given me an idea of his position, because I could have used the stars as reference points.

— That's O.K, Major. We are going to contact the Tok'ra to see if they can help us. Daniel thinks that since Apophis' host felt a weakness for you and released you, you should try to talk to him and distract him. It should give O'Neill enough time to strike him whilst his defenses are down. What do you think, Major?

She gave Daniel the mean face. Was he suggesting that Apophis had a crush on her? How very disgusting.

— Sir, as I told Daniel, I don't think it was Apophis' host that released me. It was Apophis himself.

— That's strange, Major. Goa'ulds are usually ruthless. But I trust your thinking. You tend to often be right about things.

Daniel looked perplexed. He asked General Hammond to talk in private in the hallway for a minute. When they came back, he spoke to her again:

— Major, I think you might not be psychologically ready to go back. The torture you suffered was inhumane. Apparently, Apophis has improved his torture device.

— Daniel? What did you tell him in the hallway?

She was becoming hysterical.

— Were you plotting against me? You think that I'm crazy, is that it? Answer! Are you too much of a coward to admit it? You are a coward, like Teal'c, who let the Jaffas torture me!

She was screaming, and Hammond called two guards to restrain her. She calmed down, and was brought back to Dr. Fraiser. The doctor looked in her eyes with a light, and asked her questions about her emotions.

— I think that you might have PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder. It's an anxiety disorder caused by an extremely traumatic event. It's pretty common to see it in war veterans.

— But I'm not a simple war veteran. I'm a member of SG-1. I've seen a lot of horrible things and was never traumatised.

— I know, Sam. But this time, it's different. You have been tortured far worse than anybody has ever been. I cannot even imagine what you went through.

She put a friendly hand on her shoulder and smiled.

— With a bit of rest, it will go away. Don't think of it as a weakness, think of it as being human.

— But the rest of the team needs me!

— Yes, Sam, they need you. But you'd be of no use in your state. Don't worry. I think one week of rest and therapy is all you need.

— One week?

She had a panicked look on her face.

— One week is too long. Teal'c... He'll be dead by then. Teal'c... I said horrible things about him...

She burst into tears. She was feeling too many emotions. She had felt strong emotions in her dream, too, but those were much more pleasant.

— Sam, it's O.K., you weren't being yourself. I know that you care for Teal'c. Now, I'm going to give you a shot of a strong anxiolytic. Everything's going to be fine, O.K.?

— No, she screamed. I have to go.

Dr. Fraiser made a hand gesture directed at two soldiers to make them hold her, and she gave her the shot. Sam calmed down, and passed away for a third time in 24 hours.

Three Jaffas were torturing her, but she didn't feel anything. Apophis took a DNA sample from her, and typed on his computer, which displayed enigmatic symbols. Then he grabbed his mizmar and started playing. It was the same beautiful melody as in the previous dream. And again, she felt frustrated when he stopped playing. He walked toward her. Apophis wasn't Apophis anymore. He had turned into O'Neill, dressed in his blue uniform. He spoke in Ancient, and she didn't understand one word except the last one: "Simka". One of the Jaffas hit her with the torture stick, and she felt her eyes burning.

Sam woke up in an infirmary bed, but her eyes were still painful. She drank a glass of water. Daniel was sitting on a chair, next to her bed.

— Sam? Are you O.K.?

She was all sweaty.

— I'm fine, it was just a bad dream. How long have you been here, Daniel?

— Not too long. Don't worry about it.

— Daniel... I'm sorry for acting crazy, earlier.

— Earlier? What do you mean? You've been sleeping for two days.

It didn't feel like that long to her. She only remembered that one short dream.

— Daniel, can you translate something in Ancient for me?

— Yes, Sam. What?

— "Simka". Do you know what it means?

— Where did you hear that? It's not Ancient, it's Goa'uld.

— Goa'uld?

But Jack was speaking Ancient. Although she wasn't sure if he was really Jack, because before that he had been Apophis.

— Yes, Goa'uld. It's an archaic word that approximately means "beloved". It fell out of use in Modern Goa'uld.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam dreamt of Apophis every night. She was spending an hour with the psychiatrist Dr. MacKenzie every day and making good progress. He was now going to assess if she was ready to go back on duty. He made her pass the word association test, a psychiatric evaluation technique that is said to reveal a lot about an individual's subconscious.

— I'm going to give you a list of word, and you will tell me what it makes you think about. You have to be spontaneous, this is important. Do you understand, Major?

— Yes, Doctor...

She was highly annoyed. Dr. MacKenzie had been treating her like a child. He obviously had no idea who he was talking to. She was one of the United States' national treasures, after all.

— Good. Let's start. Dog.

— Family, she answered, rolling her eyes.

Stereotypical question, stereotypical answer.

— Cat.

— 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol.

— Err, what?

— It's a pheromone, Doctor. Cats are very sensitive to it.

His jaw dropped. She smirked.

— Good answer, I guess... But you've got to answer something more... personal. Not something from a school manual.

— Fine...

— Good. Let's keep going. Glasses.

— Knowledge.

He nodded with satisfaction. Glasses referred to Dr. Jackson. She wouldn't associate him with negative qualities anymore, which showed good progress.

— Dark.

— Electromagnetic radiation.

— Major...

— Sorry, Doctor. I can't help, that's what I thought of.

At least, she's not obsessed with her nightmares anymore, he noted.

— Fur.

— Aww. Furling!

— Leader.

— Funny.

She pictured O'Neill in her mind, and giggled a bit.

— Snake.

— Power.

He shook his head. She was univocally associating Goa'uld symbols with power and order. But Dr. Fraiser had only asked that Sam be able to work in a team, not that she hated on Goa'ulds.

— That's good, Major. I will discuss your test results with my colleagues, and get back to you in an hour.

— Thank you, Doctor.

She stretched then, as a good scientist, analysed her answers. Was he going to think that I'm too obsessed with science? she wondered. She speculated that he could consider it as a sign of neurosis.

— Doctor, you know, I'm not really obsessed with science that much. It's just my job hence it's normal that I think a lot about it.

MacKenzie smiled. She really had no idea what the test was about. An hour later, Dr. Fraiser knocked at her door, and told her that she had officially fully recovered.

— Don't be too hard on yourself, Sam.

— I know, Janet. Thanks for your patience. I know I wasn't very easy to deal with.

— Don't worry about it, sweetie.

Saying that she hadn't been easy to deal with was an understatement. Sam had thrown a tantrum and bit her hand when she refused to bring her laptop to listen to music.

Teal'c was still missing. However, Master Bra'tac's men had spotted Jaffas of Apophis on P3X-298, an inhabited planet. He had spent the whole week relentlessly searching for his old friend. He suspected that Apophis and Teal'c were there, too. The plan was simple: sneak through their encampment, locate Teal'c, and escape in silence.

— Are you sure that you can do this? Daniel asked Sam.

— Yes, I'm sure, and the doctors are sure too.

Daniel was always indirectly confronting her. She felt like he was against her, but she tried hard to dismiss such paranoid thought. She and Daniel were like siblings.

— What's the plan if we get caught?

— Hm... If we get caught, we'll follow plan B, O'Neill answered.

— What's Plan B?

— You know, Carter. Plan B is always the same. Shoot and don't get shot.

He shrugged. They'd always plan things for hours, and use the same tactics.

SG-1 and a few Jaffa rebels travelled to P3X-298 at night. Apophis' camp was easy enough to find. O'Neill decided that he'd enter stealthily with Master Bra'tac, and he positioned everyone to have the tactical advantage if things turned ugly.

Everything was silent, too silent. He peeked through a tent: it was empty. And then he understood. Apophis was expecting their visit. "Crap", he said in his radio, and at the same time heard the blast of staff weapons. Apophis' Jaffas had been in their back the whole time, and they had failed to notice them. O'Neill dropped his machine gun and raised his hands. Apophis was jubilant.

— Do we have to keep our hands like that, even if we have an itch? O'Neill inquired.

— Quiet, Tau'ri!

He was quickly punished for his impertinence. Apophis walked slowly in front of each enemy, and looked closely at their face. When he recognised Carter, he froze. The female Tau'ri who haunted his dreams.

— I will interrogate this one, he said with his frightening Goa'uld voice. Jaffa! Watch the other prisoners.

He brought Carter to his personal tent. It was red and the floor was covered with red cushions. Food was abundant on his table. Carter recognised roasted chicken, bananas and pears, but the rest was unknown to her. Her stomach rumbled.

— Eat! he ordered.

She grabbed a round purple fruit, the size of an apple, and took a bite. It had a pleasant, sweet taste.

— Thank you for bringing me the other Shol'va, Bra'tac. Did you really think you could sneak on your God? I can see everything!

Apophis was so theatrical. He would never drop the arrogance. She despised him. But also, she had a question for him. She wanted to know if he played her code of life on his instrument. She had dreamt of it every night. She expected him to gloat, call himself a god, and so forth. But since they were alone, she took a deep breath, and just asked. Apophis didn't answer, but his eyes betrayed him. He glanced at something at the corner of his eyes. Sam followed his glance and saw the mizmar. Apophis noticed and felt deeply ashamed and angry that a human had read his mind. His nostrils became tense. He left the tent, and returned to his Jaffas.

— Release the prisoners.

— Are you sure, my lord? a disconcerted Jaffa asked.

Apophis grabbed his neck with both hands, and choked him to death.

— Does anybody else dare doubt the wisdom of their God? he defiantly asked.

Sam was standing next to him, and was shocked that he had just murdered one of his loyal followers. What a monster. They were pushed toward the Stargate, and were forced to leave their weapons behind. General Hammond was most surprised at the situation. Once again, Daniel confronted Sam:

— What happened in that tent?

— I... I don't want to talk about it.

— I'm really going to think that something is going on between you and Apophis.

O'Neill laughed, because that thought was completely grotesque. But Sam blushed. He stroke her back gently.

— Carter, it's really great that Apophis' host has a crush on you. Don't be shy. It really helps us.

Gosh. She didn't feel anything for Apophis but disdain. And also, she had already said several times that it wasn't Apophis' host. She was frustrated. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't afford to be off duty again. She gave him a wink. It felt artificial, but it worked to make them leave her alone.

Since they had nothing to do, Sam decided to go to Colorado Springs and visit Janet and Cassandra. It would change her mind. Little Cassandra was sure glad to see her. Well, she wasn't so little anymore. She pondered if Apophis really had a crush on her. Everything seemed to indicate that it was the case. Gross. There was not one good thing about Apophis, and his host was effeminate and a twig. She didn't feel in the least bit attracted to him. However, was he really the monster he pretended to be? He was a good musician, at least in her dream, and he was smart. She couldn't deny it. He was often beating them at military strategy. And the purple fruit she ate... It was so delicious. She knew nothing like it.

— Earth to Sam.

— Huh? What?

— Cassie was telling you about her new teacher.

She looked at Cassie, who was obviously offended and hurt that Sam didn't care to listen to her life.

— Aww, Cassie. I'm so sorry, dear. I was thinking about... work.

— Whatever. I don't care.

Cassie ran off to her bedroom. She felt horrible. She was already not visiting often, and she couldn't even focus on her.

— So, you were thinking about work, huh?

— Erm... Yes. Teal'c has been missing for a week, and I'm really worried about him.

— Ah. And is it the fact that Teal'c is missing that made you smile like a teenager in love? Janet teased.

Sam felt her cheeks flush. Had she really been smiling whilst thinking about Apophis? Impossible. She had mentally called him "gross". She was getting upset. She had never cared that much about Apophis, before.

— I think I better leave. I'm so sorry for ignoring Cassie.

— That's O.K. Sam, she'll get over it. See you.

Sam drove to a bar. She thought that she wanted to get drunk. She had only ever gotten wasted once, and it was back in her college days. She had puked and didn't have a good memory of it. But she wanted to change her mind and have fun. What was the beer that O'Neill liked? Heineken. A Dutch beer. She ended up flirting with a biker who had a huge, brown moustache. She didn't think that moustaches were attractive, and didn't want to date him. Also, he was a redneck. She was only testing her femininity and having fun.

— So... What do you do? he asked her. Let me guess. You are a secretary, aren't you?

— No... I'm in the Air Force.

He chuckled.

— You are way too hot for the military.

— Yeah, and I'm way too hot for you. Plus I have a boyfriend, and if you keep talking to me, his Jaffas are going to kick your ass.

The biker was really pissed off that she had been wasting his time. If she had a boyfriend, why would she spend an hour flirting with him? He had no luck with the ladies. Sam wasn't pleased that he dared look pissed off. She was too drunk to acknowledge that her behaviour wasn't appropriate. She saw two dark-skinned men sitting at a table, and thought they were Jaffas:

— Jaffa! He's aggravating me.

She hiccuped.

— I want you to punish him!

Everyone in the bar thought she was a fool. She was eventually asked to leave. Jack was standing at the entrance. He had recognised her car in the parking lot, and was waiting on her, in case she'd get in trouble. When she saw him, she hugged him and cried.

— Carter... Samantha. You'll be all right.

— O'Neill... The Jaffas... they didn't listen to me. People listen to me... but they don't care.

— I care.

He ran his fingers gently through her hair.

— Thanks, you are a sweetheart. You're a good friend. But the others... They don't listen to me...

She sobbed. O'Neill knew what it was like to be drunk, and he didn't judge her. Like a good friend, he brought her to his house and laid her down in his bed. He thought she looked like an angel.

She woke up with the smell of grilled bacon. O'Neill had prepared a really nice breakfast for her: bacon, eggs, biscuits, gravy, home-baked croissants and pancakes. He normally doesn't cook anymore since he's divorced, but he wanted her to feel special. He also gave her a beer which, according to him, is the best remedy for a hangover.

She ate, but it tasted bland. She couldn't help but wonder what a breakfast was like for a Goa'uld. Teal'c had said that Apophis' would make his slaves roast an entire camel just for him, from which he would only take two or three bites. It would offend him because the people of Chulak were starving.

O'Neill has a big mouth yet he's delicate inside, and he knew better than to talk about last night. He discussed what he watched on TV, but after he noticed that she was lost in her thoughts, he gave up, and decided to just hold her hand.

In truth, Carter had been so drunk that she didn't remember much about what happened. She only vaguely remembered socialising with a friendly biker. She thought that it wasn't so bad to drink, and it helped her to deal with her emotions. She had never felt the need to drink before, but then again, she had never felt so emotional either. The Heineken that she drank indeed made her feel less nauseous, and she ended up drinking three more.

When they drove back to the base, she was humming.

— Peachy! I never knew you had a secret talent for singing.

She laughed.

— I'm not that good.

— It sounds kind of Arabic.

— It's an Egyptian tune, actually. I stumbled upon it on the Internet.

— God! We have two Egyptologists in the team, now.

She laughed candidly. A bit later, they went to the briefing room to discuss a new plan to free Teal'c.

— I have an idea, Sam said.

— Let's hear it, Daniel replied.

— Do you remember when Teal'c said that Apophis was eating a camel every day for breakfast?

— No... But go on.

— It means that someone will probably have to bring him camels to P3X-298...

— I think I know where this is going, and I don't like it. You want someone fluent in Goa'uld to bring camels to him, right?

— Mhm.

— It's way too dangerous. _If_ someone indeed does that, they must follow a precise protocol that we don't know. Plus, Apophis has a good idea of what I look like, even if I remove my glasses...

— Daniel, we can't attack him directly. We already failed, last time. The Stargate is too well protected. Also, I'm pretty sure that Apophis won't deal with something as trivial as a camel sale himself...

— He's still going to be around, though.

— She's making a good point, O'Neill said to support her. Daniel, I think you'd look wonderful as a camel trader...


	3. Chapter 3

Daniel was dressed with long-sleeved desert clothing and a white turban, and was wearing a fake beard. He felt ridiculous, and was afraid that he wouldn't be very convincing. Worse yet were his goat-leather sandals: they were highly uncomfortable, and he wouldn't be able to run as fast as if he was wearing G.I. boots. His backstory was elementary: he was Kam'hil, a merchant from Chulak, who had been ordered by the High Priest to bring food to the god. O'Neill made him model for him, until his lungs were hurting too much from laughing. Master Bra'tac provided them a camel that immediately became friend with Daniel and licked his face. He felt sorry for it because it would probably finish its life in a Goa'uld's stomach.

Daniel passed the gate, and was welcomed by the blinding sun of P3X-298 and a troop of at least twenty Jaffas. It appeared that he had made a wide decision to come early in the morning: there were two other merchants in front of him, waiting for the Jaffas' approval to enter the planet. It meant that his presence wouldn't be unexplained. Their security was tighter than that of an American airport, and they made him strip naked for their body search. Daniel was nervous about losing his beard when he'd pull his clothes off, but it held.

— Identify yourself!

The archeologist was looking down, and hoped that a good display of humility would prevent the soldiers from harassing him.

— I'm Kam'hil of Chulak, good master.

— Why did you bring only one camel?

— What do you mean, sir?

— The master chef requested ten camels for the ceremony.

— The ceremony?

— Are you an idiot? Our god Apophis is going to select a new female lo'taur. He's going to feast all night. Go back to Chulak, and you better bring what he requested!

He pressed Chulak's symbols on the DHD, and Daniel had no choice but to comply. On the other side, on his way to the town, he bumped into the real camel trader: an old man with tan skin who was missing all of his front teeth. It was a great opportunity for Daniel. Then thought of forcefully taking the animals crossed his mind, however he didn't want to be a thief. That man was only an innocent who had been enslaved by a tyrannical Goa'uld.

He asked the man if he owned the camels, and he responded that they were the property of the temple. He had only been hired to bring them to Apophis. Daniel offered him his own camel if he'd let him finish the job. The old man felt suspicious about it: why would someone _pay_ to complete a tedious task? However, he was so poor that he gladly accepted.

Daniel travelled back to P3X-298. This time, he was allowed to pass the "border", nevertheless they didn't fully trust him and made two Jaffas follow him. He was hustled to Apophis' personal chef's tent, and waited for an opportunity to get rid of them. Since he was unarmed, it meant that he couldn't fight. When the chef saw the camels, he wasn't very pleased:

— What are you bringing me? They are too bony. It's not good enough for Lord Apophis.

— That's all they had at the temple.

— I don't want to hear your excuses. What's your name? I don't want to get killed if Apophis is not pleased by his meal.

— He's Kam'hil, a Jaffa answered.

— Kam'hil? It's strange that I don't know you...

Daniel gasped. He had no idea what to answer to that, and he feared they'd find out about his true identity.

— ...But it's true that I see new faces weekly. You slaves are short-lived. If only you learnt to be more worthy of your god.

— I will do better next time.

— I hope so.

What an asshole, Daniel thought. The cooks at Cheyenne Mountain were much friendlier. On the way back, they were stopped by Apophis' elite guards, who asked Daniel's companions who they were and where they were going. The level of security was fascinating. Daniel tried to leave silently whilst the Jaffas were exchanging codes, but they spotted him.

— Where are you going?

— I was only hoping to find... a drink, good master.

— There's no fountain, here. This camp is not for lowly slaves such as yourself. Go back to Chulak.

— I'm sorry, good master. I will do that.

He had no choice but to return to the SGC. His mission had been a big failure. Master Bra'tac was obviously disgruntled that a camel had been wasted for nothing, but he didn't comment on it. He offered a new plan:

— It's possible to infiltrate the ceremony. Apophis usually doesn't participate; he does not like to socialise with lower forms of life. You just have to bring the girl to the temple, and they will send her with the other slaves.

— He doesn't even choose his lo'taur himself? Daniel asked, surprised. I thought they played an important role in the life of a Goa'uld.

— Oh! Apophis is not an ordinary Goa'uld. He has multiple lo'taurs, and does not develop a close relationship with them. He has a busy schedule and lets his First Prime make that decision.

— Perfect! General Hammond concluded. Major Carter, it's a mission for you. Do you think you can complete it?

— I don't know, sir...

She felt a bit uneasy about it. She remembered her dream, where she was dressed like a slave. She didn't want that dream to turn into a premonition.

— What's the matter, Major?

She didn't want to respond. She had no rational explanation, and she refused to share her dream. That would have been absolutely too humiliating.

— Nothing, sir. I will complete the mission, sir.

— Good.

— I will help with the make-up, and then you should leave as soon as possible, Bra'tac said. The slaves are usually brought in the afternoon.

— That's strange, O'Neill noted. I had never pictured you as a make-up artist.

Bra'tac groaned.

— I will not do the make-up, I will only tell the women what it must look like.

Janet Fraiser was dealing with the cosmetics, under Bra'tac's wise guidance. Applying the eyeliner was easy enough. She used a lot of it, and it gave Sam a deep expression. The almond shape on the edge of the eyes was more difficult. It needed to be fluid and perfectly symmetric.

— Now, sweep gold dust above her eye.

— Golden dust? Do you think we have that in the base?

— It's necessary for a traditional style, Bra'tac answered.

— I will just use regular eye shadow.

Janet did a great job: Carter was magnificent. She looked like a blond-haired Cleopatra. According to Bra'tac, she also needed a blue silk dress, which fortunately they were able to find in Colorado Springs. It was a perfect match with the colour of her eyes. When O'Neill saw her, he couldn't find one word to say. He was stunned by her dazzling beauty and cursed the military rules that prevented him from dating her. Carter felt a bit awkward, and would have preferred to wear a military uniform.

Daniel, still attired like a Bedouin, and her went to the temple of Chulak. A priest was blocking the entrance.

— I'm bringing my daughter for the lo'taur ceremony.

— You daughter?

Daniel looked about the same age as her.

— I was an early bloomer.

— You were supposed to bring her yesterday.

The priest slapped Daniel.

— I don't like disrespectful slaves.

He opened Carter's mouth to examine her teeth.

— She looks healthy and she's beautiful, so I forgive you. Now, out of my sight!

He pulled on Carter's arm and brought her inside. She threw a last glance at Daniel. She was now on her own. The female quarters were gorgeous, like the inside of a palace, with golden ornaments and fancy paintings on the walls. It was warm and loud and some slaves were swimming in a hot bath.

— Look at that, one of them said, swimming toward the edge of the bath. She's low class, but she doesn't look too bad. I'm Janeel.

— I'm... Sam. Nice to meet you.

She hadn't prepared a background story, hence she just used her real name.

— Sam? What a strange name. Anyway, I think that Apophis likes more sophisticated girls such as myself. I doubt he'll choose you.

— That's O.K., I don't care.

— You don't care?

She called her friends, who came closer.

— That girl says she doesn't care if Apophis doesn't choose her.

They all giggled.

— What's so funny? Carter asked.

— You know that if you are not chosen, you are dead, right?

Carter understood why she was so mean. They were competing for survival. This environment was no less harsh than a jungle. She decided that she'd try to save them when she would escape with Teal'c. She hated the idea of women dying just because they weren't pretty enough for some maniac posing as a god. She took a bath with them to relax. This would help to be more successful in her task. She felt embarrassed when the eunuch dried her up. Only he was trusted not to "spoil" the slaves before the ceremony.

The girls were transferred to the other planet in the evening. Bra'tac had said that this was usually done in the afternoon, so Carter worried that things had changed since he had been at Apophis' service. They were brought to a gigantic tent that hadn't been mounted the first time she had been there. This is where festivities were held. Only high-ranking Jaffas could attend. There was a profusion of food, and a string ensemble was playing fast-beat music. Sam was hanging out with Janeel, who had started to tolerate her:

— I hope you are good at belly dancing.

— Belly dancing?

— Yes... Where the hell do you come from? We are going to dance for Apophis, and he will vote for the best dancer.

Dancing? Sam was just awful at dancing. She felt stressed.

— I... I can't dance.

Janeel snickered.

— Everyone can dance. You just have to let yourself loose and listen to the music.

She omitted telling Sam that the other contestants had been training since their youngest age. Their all life as a slave had been determined since birth by the priests. It was out of the question for Sam to dance. She had to find a way to get out before the contest started. Janeel made her drink alcohol. It was very strong and had little taste. She thought it would be helpful to "let herself looser", whilst in truth Janeel was making her drink for her to lose dexterity and balance.

— What's that shit called? Sam asked.

— Ponka. It's made out of divine larvae.

A sober Sam would have thought it was gross, but in her current state, she didn't mind. They walked around, and found Teal'c in the center of the tent, inside of an electrified cage.

— Teal'c! What are you doing here?

Teal'c didn't acknowledge her presence. He was sitting cross-legged at the center of his cage, and looked like a zombie.

— Wake up, Teal'c. How do I open this thing?

She examined it closely. There was a control panel like she'd seen many times on Ha'tak ships. It was rather easy for her to sabotage those, so she gave it a try. She opened the box, and pulled on several wires. Crap. She really wasn't dextrous anymore. She didn't know what she was doing and completely failed. She had to find another way to free Teal'c.

— I'll be back later, O.K., Teal'c? I'm going to drink some more ponka to make my thoughts clearer.

Zombie Teal'c didn't seem to mind. Or at least, he didn't protest, which is equivalent. Sam was having fun. The Jaffas were pretty nice to her. She theorised that they only acted mean when their master was around. In particular, a tall and bald Jaffa seemed to be really fond of her.

— I hope that you will be the new lo'taur, he confessed.

— Yeah. Do you think I have a chance against the other girls?

— I think so. You are much prettier than them.

He had been drinking a lot of ponka too. Considering that his symbiote was filtering toxic substance, it meant he had drunk several liters. Jaffas weren't even supposed to talk to the slaves.

— Aww. I'd date you if I wasn't going to be Apophis' lo'taur.

Sam was being honest. She had been drinking so much that she had all forgotten about her mission.

The music stopped all of a sudden.

— What's going on?

Everyone kneeled on the floor.

— Apophis is there, Janeel whispered. Get down on the floor.

— No. I want to get more ponka!

She was forcibly pulled down. The music resumed after Apophis sat on his throne, close to the cage. His distorted, loud voice could be heard by everyone:

— I'm tired of waiting. Let's proceed. My First Prime Teal'c is going to choose a new lo'taur.

— Is Teal'c the man in the cage? Janeel asked.

— Yes.

— I've heard about him. He has the reputation of being terribly cruel. We are going to have a rough time.

Janeel had to go first. Her dancing was fluid and gracious. She had perfect control over her hips and perfect balance. She was the only dancer who hadn't been drinking ponka. She was feeling confident, because she was pretty sure to win. After a minute, Apophis ordered her to stop.

— What do you think, First Prime?

Teal'c was still in his cage, and was still not giving the impression that he was capable of speaking. He wasn't even blinking. Everyone was waiting for the answer of the second most powerful man in Apophis' empire.

— It looks like you didn't impress him very much, Apophis judged. Jaffa! Kill her.

The Jaffas pointed their staff weapon toward the slave. She was ready to die. She had always been ready. They fired three times, and her body fell on the ground. Sam looked at her dead friend. It had the effect of a cold shower on her, and she felt more lucid for a minute. She couldn't forgive herself because she had promised to save her.

— Next!

A Jaffa pushed her in front of the cage. It was her turn to dance. Sam looked at Apophis. He wasn't acting any different, and nothing indicated that he recognized her. It worried her deeply, because she had no chance of winning if Teal'c didn't wake up. I'm his Simka, she told herself, trying to gain some confidence. He can't kill me, can he?


	4. Chapter 4

Samantha woke up in a comfortable bed and felt as if someone was playing drums inside of her temples. She was a bit ashamed of herself for turning into an alcoholic. Her arm was entwined around a man's body who had his back turned from her. "Oh my God!" she thought, "Did I really do this?" She raised her chest to get a good view on him: it was the Goa'uld Apophis! She freaked out. She never had thought she'd sleep with the enemy, and now, she couldn't deny the intense attraction she was feeling for him anymore. Probably because he had felt her move, Apophis opened his eyes.

— My beloved.

He grabbed the back of her head, and kissed her. You'd think that someone who has lived millennia would be the best kisser in the world, but no: it was a forceful kiss that felt like he was eating her lips, and she didn't enjoy it. Yet, she didn't pull away. She reasoned that her life could be threatened if she denied him.

— Aren't you supposed to sleep in a sarcophagus? she asked.

— Aren't you glad that I slept with you, beloved? he countered.

He grabbed her chin.

— Answer!

— Yes, I am glad.

He got up and got dressed. Sam was admiring his strong abs, which made Apophis smile. He considered his host body to be an integral part of himself, and liked to take care of it as well as he felt pride for keeping it in good shape.

— Wait here for me.

He passed a magnetic field that was similar to the one protecting the cell she had been confined to a week earlier, and left. Sam found clothes on the night stand. She stared at the stars, the Milky Way, outside of the window. It was easy to conclude that she was in deep space, on Apophis' mothership. She inspected her environment. The room was empty, except for what looked like a computer keyboard. She pressed one key, and the holographic screen got activated. She browsed through the files, until she found one that she could understand. It was obviously the code of a computer program. Regardless of the language they use, she could decipher any computer program, because the underlying mathematics was a language she was fluent in.

The program she was looking at was only made of symplectic spins and was obviously related to quantum field theory, however she couldn't figure out exactly how it worked. Apophis was standing behind her, holding a breakfast plate, and startled her when he asked:

— Beautiful, isn't it?

— What is it?

— A teleportation program that I have designed in my free time. I will show you. Move.

Sam stepped aside, and Apophis pressed a few icons on the screen. The plate that he was holding disappeared, and re-appeared outside of the window, in the space.

— I'm trying to recreate the Asgard teleportation beam, but it doesn't work on living matter yet. I can call a Jaffa to show you what it does, if you wish. The result is rather... interesting.

— No... That's good. I'm already impressed.

— I will bring another meal.

She was surprised that Apophis was being so pleasant. It was as if she their roles were reversed: wasn't she supposed to be his personal servant? She assumed she had become his lo'taur, although she couldn't quite remember what happened last night. Only that Tealc's eyes were glowing with a greenish light. If there was a nice side to Apophis, perhaps his soul could be redeemed. After all, Teal'c used to be a monster, too, and was now a good man.

The field didn't block her from leaving. A robotic voice said: "Samantha Carter – recognised". It could only mean that Apophis had specifically given her clearance to pass the field. She explored the ship to find Teal'c. The metallic corridors were all alike, and it was easy to get lost. _Clink, clink, clink_. The sound of a Jaffa patrol approaching. She looked around: there was nowhere to hide. She took a boxing stance: if they were going to capture her, she'd at least fight. But the Jaffas didn't fight. They bowed, and said:

— Greetings, High Priestess Carter.

She was surprised, but tried to take the role of an aloof priestess since that's probably what they expected.

— Jaffa, bring me to the First Prime Teal'c.

— Very well, High Priestess.

Teal'c was held in the same cell as when they had been incarcerated together.

— Get him out of there.

— Are you sure, High priestess?

She raised a voice:

— You better do as I say! I want to interrogate him.

— Very well.

They got Teal'c out of his cell. He didn't protest: he was still a zombie.

— What happened to him?

— You don't know? His spirit has been cleansed from evil.

He turned her friend's face on the right.

— Look, the _cleansing device_ is there.

There was a small device on the side of his head that looked like a screw.

— Good. Now escort us to the Chappa'ai. I need to bring him to the temple of Chulak.

— Very well, Priestess.

Sam thought it was thrilling to boss them around. Usually, Jaffas were shooting at her. She opened a wormhole to Earth, but as she was reading to leave, Apophis made his appearance.

— Are you going to kiss me goodbye?

It could have been a trap. _Normal_ Apophis wouldn't have let his priestess flee with a prisoner. She hesitated, and looked at the Stargate. But she found herself drawn toward the Goa'uld. He wasn't Normal Apophis anymore. He was the Apophis who cared for her and gave her full clearance to his ship. This time, she wanted to show him how she liked to be kissed. A soft and sensual French kiss. Apophis had a present for her:

— I believe this is how the Tau'ri – inefficiently – stores data. It's comparable to a highly primitive data crystal.

— A CD-ROM? How did you get it?

— I know a lot more about the Tau'ri than you think. Now, leave before I change my mind.

He looked upset. Sam was amazed that he'd treat her like a person. Expected behaviour was that if he was interested in her, he wouldn't care if she reciprocated and keep her like a toy. But Goa'ulds are capable of range of emotions as wide as humans; this was proven by the Tok'ra. The fact that her father was the host of a Goa'uld probably made her more tolerant.

Teal'c was heavy, for sure. Sam needed all of her strength to carry him through the Stargate. She expected a warm welcome, and her friends to be happy to seem her, however she only got weird looks.

— Oh my... What happened to you, Carter? O'Neill asked, worried.

— Nothing. The mission was a success. What's the matter?

— Your forehead... You have a silver tattoo...

— What?!

She felt it with her hand.

— Bring me a mirror!

It was a stylistic X inside of a circle. The mark of Apophis' priests. That couldn't be. Why did she get a tattoo against her will? Had Apophis betrayed her, or had she agreed to it whilst drunk? Teal'c and Sam were brought to the infirmary. Sam was fine – if you ignored her physical appearance. However, Dr. Fraiser didn't know what to do with Teal'c.

— Do you know what it is, Sam? I don't know if I should remove it. It might cause brain damage...

— What choice do we have? Teal'c might as well be dead, considering the state he's in...

The doctor raised an eyebrow. She hadn't known her girlfriend to be sardonic, except for when she had been having PTSD. Dr. Fraiser feared a relapse, and sent Sam to the base psychiatrist, Dr. MacKenzie.

— Major Carter. I'm glad we meet again.

She wasn't glad to see him at all, therefore she didn't say anything.

— Do you remember the word association test?

— Yes, she answered, highly annoyed.

— Good. O.K., here we go. Dog.

— Poo.

The doctor gave her a judging glance.

— What is it? You don't like my answer?

— It's fine, Major. Snake.

— Love. Yes, I love Apophis. Is that what you wanted to hear?

She grabbed a pencil holder from his deck, and threw it on the wall.

— How would you like if I got into your head, and judged every little thought stored in your puny little skull?

— Calm down, or I will have to call the security. No one is judging you, Major. I'm only here to help you. For now, considering your highly emotional reaction, I will have to order you to remain in your quarters until you feel better.

He gave her a little bottle of pills.

— Take those before every meal that you take.

She took the bottle, but didn't plan to take the nasty drugs it contained. She felt perfectly sane. Only, she had a frigging _tattoo_ on her forehead. It was perfectly normal to be infuriated.

There were two different files on the CD. She clicked the first one: Apophis had recorded himself playing on his mizmar. He looked cute and a bit awkward. Sam listened to the music; the most beautiful air she'd ever heard. It was her code of life. All the molecules that made her body resonated in harmony to it. Apophis was a genius. She couldn't even be angry for the tattoo anymore, after she heard such song. She looked at her mirror reflection: it didn't look too bad, and it was made of a precious metal. Yet, it reminded her of the mark burnt into the hide of stock animals, and wanted it removed as fast as possible.

The second file was the teleportation program. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that it had been converted into C++, a programming language used by Earth scientists. It meant that it could be executed by her computer, although since she didn't have the proper material, she couldn't teleport anything, of course. She wondered what would happen if she executed it, though. She pressed the "Play" button.

_Enter name of object to teleport._

She thought for a second.

_...My tattoo._

_Enter destination._

_...Dr. MacKenzie's ass._

She giggled a bit. He'd surely deserve it.

_Define "Dr. MacKenzie"._

_...The base psychiatrist. Dark hair, middle-aged. Male. Condescending. He never smiles._

_Destination found. Processing teleportation. Please do not move._

The computer's fans started making a hellish noise. The tower was vibrating, and the screen turned black. "Holly Hannah!", she thought, "it can't be happening!" Eventually, the screen exploded. Pieces of glass were flung toward her face and cut her skin. Did Apophis sabotage her computer, or had the teleportation really worked? O'Neill rushed into the room.

— Carter? Are you O.K.?

— I... I guess.

— You should wait for me next time you are blowing shit up. What happened to your face? Where's the tattoo?

— I think I have a good idea about that...

The teleportation had been successful. How was it even possible? She gave it some serious thoughts. It was possible that the program was able to manipulate the electricity currents that power the computer, and that it had created the atomic spins necessary for teleportation. She hadn't studied the program, hence she didn't really understand how it worked.

The scientific team tried to retrieve the CD-ROM, but it had melted, along with most of the computer components. It meant that the experiment could not be repeated. The secret of teleportation was back in Apophis' hands. It was unknown if he had planned the explosion, or if it was an unavoidable consequence.

Later that day, Teal'c underwent brain surgery. The device wasn't going too deep into the gray matter, thus the odds of the operation going well were high. SG-1 was with him when he woke up.

— Long time no see, Big T.

— O'Neill...

He tried to raise himself, but fell back.

— Take it easy. Do you know where you are?

— I'm in the SGC.

— Do you remember what happened to you?

— Let him rest, Dr. Fraiser protested. He's in no condition to answer a full interrogatory.

— No... I'm fine, Doctor. Apophis kept me locked in that cell for days. I was sense deprived and not fed, but I did not give in to his demands. He then put that device on me to try to control my actions. Everything was... green. I couldn't move my body anymore, but I was still fully aware of everything. Luckily, Major Carter saved me.

He looked at her, but as usual, he had a blank expression. If he had been fully aware, it suggested that he had seen her kiss Apophis. But despite his grudge with Apophis, he didn't betray her secret.

— Oh, yeah. She's good like that. By the way, Carter, General Hammond is waiting for your mission report.

The mission report... She didn't know what to write. Should she tell the true story, or skip the compromising details? She decided that she'd say that she had manipulated Apophis. Her love life was personal and of no concern to the U.S. Air Force.

Dr. Fraiser examined Teal'c, and asked him a few questions to test his memory. He was obviously in possession of all of his mental faculties.

Two weeks passed. After SG-1 was back from a routine mission, they were undergoing the routine medical examination. Sam was waiting passively as the medical team was making a blood test on her. It was boring, but necessary, because they were in contact with many alien pathogens.

— Sam, we've found two anomalies in your blood.

— What is it?

Dr. Fraiser had a genuinely concerned look on her face.

— Well, first, the naquadah level in your system is abnormally high...

"Strange," Sam thought. She hadn't been in contact with naquadah, recently.

— And?

Dr. Fraiser took a deep breath.

— You are pregnant, Sam.

— What? Are you sure?

Sam's world fell apart. She had only slept one night with Apophis. And Janet's tone expressed that she knew who the father was...


	5. Chapter 5

Sam didn't know if she should abort. She didn't want to murder her child, but she didn't want to give birth to a Harcesis abomination either. A Harcesis was the offspring of two Goa'uld hosts. They had the genetic memory of all of their ancestors. All the horrors they have committed was enough to drive a newborn mad. However, she wasn't a Goa'uld, and she didn't know what a hybrid would be like.

She put her hand on her stomach. "I can feel it," she thought. This thought didn't make sense, because the baby was but an embryo. Yet, her maternal instinct was already strong. "I love him or her." She wondered how Apophis would react. He was a proud man – or Goa'uld – and he wouldn't have forgiven her for killing his child. "I love him too." Apophis had every quality that she liked: he was strong, intelligent, sensitive, and he seemed to be very caring too. His advantage over O'Neill was that he wasn't afraid to express his feelings. Like everyone, he had many flaws. But she felt confident that she could change him. The power balance of the galaxy could greatly change if he allied himself with Earth.

_Three months later_.

She was impatient to contact Apophis, but she didn't know where he was. Janet had used her sonographic scanner to know the gender of the baby.

— Sam, I have good news, she said, smiling.

— What?

— You are going to have twins. A boy and a girl.

— Aww!

It was the best of both worlds. She didn't know which gender she preferred, but now, there would be no disappointment. She didn't need to think long to find good names. The boy would be Daniel, and the girl would be Grace, named after the little girl she'd seen when she was stranded on the Prometheus.

She bumped into O'Neill as she was leaving the infirmary.

— Carter! What were you doing in there?

— O'Neill! Janet was running an ultrasound test on me. I'm going to have twins! A boy and a girl.

She was overly rejoiced. However, O'Neill was perplexed:

— Hold on a minute... You are pregnant?

Guys... They are just blind. She was three month pregnant and he hadn't noticed? Geez...

He hugged her.

— I'm so happy!

And he kissed her on the mouth. Sam pushed him away.

— What the hell was that?

— I'm sorry, Carter. I was just so excited to know that we are going to have twins.

She didn't understand.

— What do you mean, "we"?

— Carter, who did you think the father was?

Apophis was the father, but she didn't want to tell him. She responded, hesitantly:

— I don't know...

— Carter, I thought you knew... That night, when you were drunk, and spent the night at my place... We... Well, you know... You were drunk, and I got drunk too... And we...

He felt too awkward to finish his sentence. Sam was shocked. She didn't even know who the father of her children was anymore. She felt dirty. She wanted to cry and ran off to her quarters. A befuddled O'Neill was left behind.

_Nine months later_.

Sam was trying to control the rhythm of her breathing to relax. It was the end of her pregnancy, and she was lying down on a clinical table, her legs wide open. The girl came first. She was white-skinned and blond-haired, and was thus obviously O'Neill's daughter. Sam felt greatly disappointed. She had been hoping that Apophis would be the father. And then, her twin brother came. Dr. Fraiser was shocked. And even more shocked was O'Neill, who was holding Sam's hand. The boy was a mini Apophis, with dark skin and cruel-looking eyes.

O'Neill let her hand go, and left. Janet explained what happened:

— This is a case of heteropaternal superfecundation. It happens sometimes, when the ova are fertilized twice in a row by two different men.

— What? Oh my God!

Daniel and Grace were twins, and half-siblings. She looked at Daniel. She was afraid to see his eyes shine with a malignant intelligence, however he looked like a normal baby. At least, he wasn't a Harcesis...

* * *

**Epilogue**

Colonel Jack O'Neill left the base, and would never be seen alive again. His decomposing body was found by Teal'c a week later, in his house. He had shot himself in the head with his service gun, the same gun that had killed Charlie. He had been very excited to have another chance at fatherhood, but had been too upset to see that the love of his life had betrayed him. "That's so sad," Teal'c thought. Jack had been so upset when he saw the mini Apophis that he never knew Grace O'Neill was actually his daughter.

The strangest part about O'Neill suicide was that he had shot himself on the left side of his head, even though he was right handed. The police never found evidence that it was a murder, and Teal'c's private investigation never lead to anything either.

This was the end of SG-1. Sam couldn't handle the shame of what she had caused, and got discharged from the army. She only ever found solace in a glass of tequila, when she could afford one. Teal'c, whose loyalty toward O'Neill was the only thing that kept him on Earth, joined the Jaffa rebellion. Only Daniel Jackson was left, but without his friends, he was never the same.

After a few years, Sam had spent all of her savings. She could have been highly successful in the private sector; she was still one of the top scientists on Earth. But she was too broken inside for that. All she had was a Section 8 apartment, and her kids. She wasn't beautiful anymore. Her hair had greyed quickly, and she had permanent dark circles under her eyes. It was part caused by her depression, part caused by the alcohol she was heavily drinking and the three packs of cigarettes she was smoking daily.

Never had twins be so different. Grace was sweet and funny. She looked exactly like Sam, except she had the eyes of her father. Everyone just loved her, especially her grandfather Jacob. Daniel was arrogant and cruel. He would never get along with his sister, and they hated each other to death. And then, he had those dreams. He'd always speak in his dreams. Sometimes, he'd be giving orders to Jaffas. Other times, he'd tenderly whisper the name "Simka" over and over. It was creepy because although he was Sam's son, he had access to the memories of his father. She didn't want to know the gruesome details he remembered about her.

Cats from the neighbourhood were oddly mutilated and killed. She suspected that it was Daniel's work, but she never found evidence against him. Of course, around the house, he was behaving just perfect. He was completely obsequious, but so were Goa'ulds who weren't at the top of the hierarchy. One day, she'd see his true face...

* * *

**Note: **If you enjoyed this story, please leave a small comment in the box below.


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